William Cowper, Depressed Hymn Writer

Church History Timeline

...moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the
storm.

William Cowper, who wrote that hymn, was born in England on this day, November 26, l73l. His life was full of
personal anguish. At five, his mother died, and Cowper, a timid and
sensitive child, was treated with great cruelty by an older boy. Other
school experiences were also painful. At eighteen William began to study
law, and fell in love with his cousin Theodora Cowper, but her father
did not approve of the match. Neither of them ever married.

After completing law studies he made little exertion in the field.
Later he was offered a government position for which he would have to be
examined. William was so terrified of having to answer questions that he
worked himself into a fit of madness. At one point, he became so
despondent that he attempted suicide. After time in a private asylum, he
recovered his reason. Cowper moved to the country town of Olney, where
John Newton, the ex-slaver, was pastor. Soon they were close friends.

In 1771, Newton, became concerned with Cowper's increasing
melancholy. Hoping to lift his spirits by keeping him busy, Newton
suggested that he and Cowper co-author a book of hymns. Newton himself
often wrote hymns to illustrate his Sunday sermons. "Amazing Grace" is
one of the 280 hymns he wrote for the Olney Hymns. Cowper wrote
68 of the hymns, including "Oh for a closer walk with God," "God moves
in a mysterious way," and "There is a fountain filled with blood."

The Olney Hymns first introduced Cowper to the world. Cowper
kept writing poetry and became famous. He is considered one of the
founders of the English Romantic movement. His "John Gilpin" is a
children's favorite. In his best work, "The Task" Cowper continues to
praise his Creator. He once said that of all the gifts God gives to us,
God, Himself, is the greatest. However, as he neared death, his
melancholic mental state reasserted itself and he became convinced that
he was one of the souls that his rigorous Calvinist upbringing had
taught were predestined to damnation. A poem titled "The Castaway"
vividly illustrates his apprehensions.